Agenda item

As resolved at the Environment Select Committee meeting on 12 November 2024, the Committee are to receive a new report in January 2025 breaking down spend indetail by area and road categories.

Councillor Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Flooding, Street Scene, and Flooding, alongside Samantha Howell, Director for Highways and Transport, Parvis Khansari, Director for Place, and Dave Thomas, Head of Highways Assets and Commissioning, provided additional information of recent previous investment in carriageway surfacing activities by Area Board and road class.

Officers referenced Paragraphs 2 to 4 of the report where it was explained that following the previous meeting of the Committee held on 12 November 2024, Members had resolved to receive an additional report confirming Area Board spend by road categories and class, with Appendix A setting out the spend in the requested format. It was emphasised that the figures had not changed since the previous report and that officers took an evidence-led risk—based approach to asset management in line with agreed best practice and adopted policies.

During the discussion, points included:

• Officers noted that a report on the annual review of the service would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee and would detail where additional funding over that provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) had been spent and the impacts of such.
• It was highlighted that significant improvements had been made with regard to engagement and ensuring open and transparent information. Furthermore, it was noted that a proportional approach was undertaken when considering delivery on the ground and data collection. It was further highlighted that all Area Boards were consulted in respect of local priorities which were then analysed, programmed, and completed where the intervention criteria had been met. Officers acknowledged that any outstanding actions would be considered, but that any further interventions were dependent on resources and other priority areas.
• Reference was made to Table C and investments in potholes, and officers emphasised the importance of reinforcing the use of the MyWilts app with residents and Town and Parish Councils to report defects. It was then highlighted that although an element of pothole repairs was reactive, the additional investment enabled officers to bring forward some scheduled repairs and utilise the Bobcat to fix both the pothole and its surrounding area to provide a better fix. Furthermore, the additional investment helped to develop better prevention techniques and a better reactive response.
• It was noted that major maintenance planned works had caused substantial disruption due to extensive utility operations which therefore had impacted on planned interventions, with the deterioration of the road continuing and exacerbated by the prolonged extreme weather conditions. As such, officers were anticipating pothole reporting to increase.
• It was emphasised that minimising the risk to road users with the resources available was a priority for the Council and when considering promoting active travel, particularly in more rural areas, it was important to ensure the correct routes for all cyclists be it recreational or utility. As such, understanding the data was crucial in understanding how to make the network as user friendly as possible and ensuring that residents understood that it was one tool in the mechanism to deliver the Business Plan priorities.
• Officers acknowledged that they were aware of instances in which utility companies had failed to reinstate highways to an approved standard. Although officers were seeing an unprecedented demand in terms of access from utility companies on the network, Members were reassured that officers monitored any works and where an appropriate level of effective reinstatement had not been demonstrated, utility companies were held to account and in instances where there was an immediate safety risk, the Council would seek to undertake the repairs and then recharge the company responsible.
• It was noted that within the network inspection regime, officers were mindful of rural runoff in areas but emphasised that a proportional and evidence-based approach was necessary in terms of maintaining the network and repairing defects. It was further explained although repeat visits for potholes were monitored, it should be noted that some repeat visits were due to officers undertaking temporary repairs before returning to perform a more permanent repair.
• Officers agreed to provide a full written response setting out the methodology and frequency of road condition surveys.
• Officers and the Cabinet Member were thanked for the report and their hard work.

At the conclusion of the discussion, it was then:

Resolved:

The Committee:

a)    Noted the report.

b)    Requested that future Highways Review of Service reports incorporated a detailed breakdown of expenditure information in its Highways Investment Plans.

c)    Requested updates on the progress of preventing damage to roads, surveying roads, identifying repairs, and monitoring third part reinstatements.